The Larimar stone, whose photo is located below, is a semiprecious unique mineral that is mined in the Dominican Republic. This country is located on the island of Haiti, located in the Caribbean. From the point of view of geology, Larimar belongs to one of the varieties of calcium silicate, known as pectolite. It should be noted that this mineral differs from others in its unusual color. Scientists have proved that the larimar stone arose as a result of volcanic activity, so it can be found in other states. At the same time, blue pectolites come exclusively from the Dominican Republic.
The first official historical mention of this stone dates back to 1916, when several of its copies were in one of the Spanish priests Miguel Domingo Loren. It is possible that before that they were used by local Indians. After weighing the possibility of substantial potential earnings, the clergyman turned to the local authorities in order to obtain permission for the extraction of this variety of pectolites. Now there is no exact information as to whether this request was granted, but the Larimar stone was not mentioned in any sources for more than twenty years after this.
In 1974, the active promotion of blue pectolite to world markets began. It all started with the fact that several of his samples were discovered by a well-known jeweler at that time, a member of the Peace Corps, Miguel Moundes on one of the coasts of the province of Barahona. The name of the mineral is associated with the same person. It is believed that the Larimar stone was named after his daughter Larissa, because the word "mar", translated from Spanish, means "sea". True, there is another, unofficial, its name is the Delphic stone.
According to the inhabitants of the Dominican Republic, blue stones appeared on the shore due to the surf of the sea. In fact, everything turned out to be not quite so. The fact is that they are all carried by the Baoruko River. After it was proved, in the upper part of it began to extract the stone Larimar. As of today, about ten thousand in the south-west direction from the town of Barahona there are about two thousand pits of the deposit, which is called Los Chupaderos. It should be noted that it is the only source of these blue pectolites on the planet. They are mined only by hand, without the use of any specialized equipment. At the same time, when the rainy season begins, water fills the pits, so the work becomes life-threatening due to the threat of landslides. An interesting nuance is that on the territory of the island of Haiti, pectolites of white and greenish colors can also be found.
Despite its unusualness and uniqueness, Larimar is a stone whose price is not so high. For example, a ring in which there is an insert from it can cost the buyer an amount that does not exceed one hundred US dollars. Along with this, everyone who wants to have jewelry with such a mineral should hurry up, since its reserves will be exhausted very soon.